Buckle and latch mechanism



BUCKLE' AND LATCH MECHANISM Filed NOV. 27, 1940 Z0 y l/ Patented Jan.27, 1942 vUNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE BUCKLE AND LATCH MECHANISM EinarThoresen, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application November 27, 1940,'Serial No. 367,388

'(Cl. .Z4- 170) 9 Claims.

My invention relates to belt buckles, particu-r larly to frictionbuckles, buckles that secure the end of a belt by friction, and consistsin improvements in structure, by virtue of which the buckle is moreeffective in service.

The invention embraces in addition to the objects herein appearing thoserevealed in my copending application Serial No. 295,776, filed September20, 1939, and the structure of the invention includes certain rencmentsand elaborations of the buckle described in such application.

A buckle embodying the invention is illustrated in the accompanyngdrawing, in which:

Fig. I is a view of the buckle in plan, with the belt on which thebuckle is assembled shown fragmentarily;

Fig. II is a view of the buckle to larger scale and partly in sideelevation and partly in section on the plane II-II of Fig. I. The buckleis shown in open position, ready t0 receive the free end of the belt tobe secured;

Fig. III is a sectional view of the buckle in closed position;

Fig. IV is a fragmentary view of the buckle in plan, to the scale ofFigs. II and III;

Fig. V is a fragmentary view, showing the buckle partly in sideelevation and partly in section on the plane V-V of Fig. IV, andillustrating the latch device that secures the buckle in closedposition;

And Figs. VI and VII are fragmentary views, showing the buckle insection on the plane VI-VI of Fig. IV, and illustrating alternatepositions of certain elementsof the latch device.

Referring to the drawing the buckle consists in two bodies l and 2 thatare desirably, if not essentially, formed of a molded plastic material,such as urea formaldehyde. The two members are united on ahinge pintle3, and are adapted to secure the end of a belt introduced and clampedbetween them. More specically, the assembled buckle members are attachedto one end a of a belt B, and are adapted to receive and secure between'them the opposite end b of the belt. The

two buckle members severally carry blocks 6 and 4 1 of sponge rubber,or`other highly compressible and elastic material, that frictionallyengage the interposed'end 'o of the belt. The buckle member 2, theso-called cap or cover member, is movableA on the axis of the hingeb-etween the open, belt-receiving position of Fig. II, and the closed,belt-securing position of Fig. III. Opposite to the hinged end of thebuckle, the members I and 2 are severally equipped with latch members 4and 5, which (as will presently appear) are adapted to secure the bucklein closed or beltclamping position.

The hinge on which the buckle opens and closes extends transversely ofthe direction vof extent of the belt, and by virtue of this feature theopening and closing of the buckle is facilitated. And, as shown, thehinge is arranged at one end of the assembled buckle, thereby aordngmaximum mechanical advantage when pressure is applied to the covermember, to close the buckle. The cover member carries integrally lugs 20that nest in pockets l0 formed in the basal member I. The edges of thelugs are so shaped relatively to the edges of the pockets that thebuckle can not be opened wider than need be; that is, the edges 20a. ofthe lugs are adapted to come to abutment upon the edges lila of thepockets, in such way as to limit the movement of the cover member 2 whenit has reached the desired open positionv (Fig. II)-a position in whichfull clearance is provided for the insertion of the belt end b, and inwhich the cover member is sufficiently close to the basal member topermit the buckle readily to be grasped between the thumb and forengerin closing the buckle.

The buckle members l and 2 are so particularly fashioned as to providean outwardly flared mouth C for the belt-receiving channel between thebuckle members. As shown, such mouth of the channel opens beneath thehinge pintle 3 and between the lugs 2D.

The buckle is secured to the end 'a of the belt, by means of a metaltongue 8 that is articulated tothe basal member l, as by a pin 9, andthat is provided with a slot 80, through which the end of the belt isthreaded, overlapped and secured, say by stitching. Thus, the union ofthe buckle to the belt `end a is a flexible union, a feature that admitsof more ready manipulation of the buckle in use.

The two buckle members are shaped to nest one within the other when thebuckle is closed, in such manner that the hinge is protected andsafeguarded from the effects of stress applied to the belt in service,stress that tends to pull the clamped end of the belt from the buckle.In this case the channel-shaped basal member l includes in its oppositeside walls la recesses lb, and the cover member 2 is provided on itsperiphery with laterally extending portions 2b that nest or dovetail inthe recesses. Such structure manifestly is effective to the end in view.

The above described structural features are valuable, in that theypermit the buckle members l and 2 to be readily constructed of plasticmaterial, a material that, after shaping under heat and pressure inknown Way, is hardened to bonelike consistency. The buckle is strong anddurable, and avoids the objections that might other- Wise be raisedagainst a clamp type buckle formed of plastic.

The structure and arrangement of the friction blocks or elements 6 and 1are of great importance. As above indicated, these elements consist inbodies of a highly compressible and elastic material, such as spongerubber. They are secured in opposing relation, one to each of the bucklemembers I and 2, in such manner that the end b of the belt clamped inthe buckle is irictionally engaged and secured between such elements.Advantageously, the bodies of the members I and 2 are formed withrecesses 60 and 10, and the frictional clamping elements 6 and 1 aresecured and peripherally supported in the recesses. The bodies of theelements 6 and 1 are normally of substantially greater volume than therecesses in which they are positioned, and preferably the portions ofthe elements that project from the recesses when the buckle is open(Fig. II)E are of approximately semispherical shape. When the buckle isclosed upon the interposed end of the belt, these relatively thick,cushion-like elements 6 and 1 are compressed to relatively thin,disk-like members, as shown in Fig. III. In the course of the closing ofthe buckle, the belt-engaging elements 6 and 1 rst make point contactwith the body of the belt, and then (as the closing movement of thebuckle continues) the contact of the progressively compressed elementswith the belt spreads over increasing areas, forcing all air frombetween the elements and the opposite surfaces of the belt, until atlength the elements are compressed to substantially the volume of therecesses 60 and 10, respectively, and the elements over their entireeifective areas make snug contact with the body of the belt. As thuscompressed, the members 6 and 1 provide friction disks that engage andsecure the end b of the belt in the buckle.

Another important feature is to be noted. As may be perceived uponconsidering Fig. III, the buckle members I and 2 are so shaped andproportioned that,l when the buckle is secured in closed position,clearances I I are left between the body of the belt and the bodyportions of the buckle members I and 2 that extend contiguous with theperipheries of the recesses 60 and 10. When the belt is subjected totension, tension effective in the direction of the arrows in Fig. IIIand tending to pull the engaged belt end b from the buckle, portions 6aand 1a oi the highly yieldable bodies of the elements 6 and 1 are drawninto and tightly wedged in such clearances. The greater the tension onthe belt, the tighter is the wedging of the portions 6a and 1a againstthe belt. Thus, the elements 6 and 1 are caused to engage the belt witha wedging effect that augments the security obtained by the frictionalengagement of the elements with the belt.

The latch device that secures the buckle in closed position isparticularly effective for a friction type buckle. The elasticity of thecompressed belt-engaging elements cooperates with the latch device; thatis to say, when the buckle is closed and the latch device 4, 5 isengaged, the forces of restitution of the compressed elements 6 and 1,tending to spring the buckle open, are utilized to maintain the latch inengaged position. Alternately, when the buckle is to be opened, theseforces of restitution are caused to assist, rather than to resist, thedisengagement of the latch.

More particularly, the latch member` carried by the basal member I ofthe buckle consists in a pair of hook-shaped catches 4 that arepivotally mounted, in spaced apart relation, on the pin 9, alreadymentioned. The two side Wall portions Ia of the basal member I includeeach a recess I2 in which one of the catches is disposed, and a wirespring I3 is arranged with each catch, to urge it into position ofengagement with the latch member 5 carried by the cover member 2 of thebuckle. The edge of each catch 4 is notched, as indicated at 4a in Fig.II, to receive the distal end of the associate spring I3. The latchmember 5 consists in a cylindrical bar or stem that is mounted forrotary movement in a transverse bore in the buckle member 2. The bar 5extends at its opposite ends from the side edges of said member 2, andit is these projecting ends of the bar that are severally engaged by thecatches 4, to secure the buckle in closed position. The said projectingends of the cylindrical bar 5 are partly cut away, providing at each endof the bar a facet 5U that, with the buckle in closed position, isengaged by the hooked end of the associate or corresponding catch 4,Fig. VI. The engagement of the tips of the hookedshaped catches with thebar 5 is an over-center or off-center engagement; that is, the tips 40of the hooked end of each catch bears on the facet of the associate endof the bar 5 at a point lying to one side-to the right in Fig. VI-of theaxis of the bar, and it will be perceived that the forces of restitutionof the compressed belt-engaging elements 6 and 1, in tending to springthe buckle members apart, exert through the bodies of the buckle membersand the points (40) of contact of the catches with the bar 5 a pressurethat tends to turn the bar clockwise, as it is seen in Fig. VI.Manifestly, this tendency to rotate the bar clockwise increases thesecurity of engagement between the latch members, and prevents the latchdevice from becoming unintentionally released and the buckle opened.

In order to release the latch device, the bar 5 is axially rotatedthrough such angle as will tilt the facets 50 into the position shown inFig. VII, in which position the points of contact of the tips 40 of thecatches with the bar are caused to shift to the left of the axis of thebar; the forces of restitution, above mentioned, become eifective toopen the buckle, the inclined facets 50 acting through the tips 40 ofthe catches to swing the catches counter-clockwise (Fig. VII) againstthe resistance of springs I3 and free from the ends of the bar 5. Themeans for so turning the bar 5 into release position consists in atrigger I4, a small stem or knob that extends radially from the side ofthe bar and is made accessible to the thumb or finger of the user, bythe forming of the right-hand edge of the buckle member 2, as shown. Inorder to release the latch, it is merely necessary to lift the end ofthe trigger about oneeighth of an inch or less-the elasticity of thecompressed elements 6 and 1 does the rest.

In closing the buckle the latch members move automatically intoengagement; that is, when the cover member 2 is swung shut upon thebasal member I, the cylindrical nether surfaces of the projecting endsof the bar 5 bear upon the curved top edges of the catches 4 and pressthem aside, against the tension of their springs I3. As the buckle comesto fully closed position and the projecting ends of the bar 5 pass belowthe tips when the buckleA isy closed is of thinA disk-likel -of thecatches', they catches' snap into engaged position, Fig', VI. Itr onlyremains to be noted that means are provided normally to res'train'thebar 5 in a predetermined position in its range oi permissive rotation,in the position in which the facets lie substantially horizontally, asthe buckle is shown in Fig'. VI. Such means consist in two spring-backedblocks or pins I5, each of which bears upon the flat base of a kerf outin the cylindrical body of the bar. Note Figs. IV and V.

Within the terms and intent of the appended claims various renements andmodifications are held in contemplation.

I claim as myy invention:

l. -In a devicey of the class described that includes in structure twovbuckle, members united one to the otherv4 for relative movement andadapted to be secured to one end of a belt, each of said buckle memberscarrying a belt-engaging element, and a latch device for securing thebuckle members-in closedY position, clamped upon the opposite end ofsaidv belt, with said beltengaging elements compressed against such endof the belt; the invention herein described in which each of said bucklemembers includes a recess in which the associate belt-engaging elementis positioned and peripherally supported, each belt-engaging elementcomprising a relatively thick body of readily compressible materialthat, when the buckle is open, is oi substantially greater volume thanthe recess in which it is positioned, and that, when the buckleislatched in closed position, is Acompressed in frictional engagementwith the belt toa relatively thin disk-like body of only slightlygreater volume than the recess.

2. In a-v device of the class described that includes in structure twobuckle members united one to the other for relative movement and adaptedto be secured to one end of a belt, each of said buckle members carrying`a belt-engaging element, and a latch device for securing the bucklemembers in closed position, clamped upon the opposite end of said belt,with said belt-engaging elements compressed against such end of thebelt; the invention herein described in which each of said bucklemembers includes a belt-engaging element comprising a relatively thickbody of readily compressible material that, when the buckle is open, isof relatively great volume, and that, when the buckle is latched inclosed position, is compressed in frictional engagement with the belt toa relatively small volume, said latch device comprising a member mountedfor rotary movement in one oi said buckle members, and

' a catch member carried by the other of said buckle members, said catchmember making over-center engagement with said rotary member when thebuckle is closed, with the effect that the forces of restitution of thecompressed belt-engaging elements react through the buckle members withlatch-locking effect upon said engaged latch members,

3. In a device of the class described that includes in structure twobuckle-members, a latch device for securing said buckle members inclamped position upon the body of a belt, one of said buckle memberscarrying an element that frictionally engages the belt when the buckleis secured in said clamped position; the invention herein described inwhich said belt-engaging element comprises la body of readilycompressible material which when the buckle is open is of relativelythick cushion-like form, and which form, the closed buckle structureincluding, between the body of the engaged belt and the body of saidelement-carrying buckle member a clearance into which a portion of thebody of saidl compressed disk-shaped element is adapted, when theengaged belttends to slip in the buckle, to be drawn and wedged, saidwedged portion of the compressed belt-engaging element aiTordingaugmented security of the belt in the closed buckle.

4. Inv a device of the class described that includes in structuretwobuckle members, a latch device for securing said buckle members inclamped position upon the body of a belt, one of said buckle memberscarrying an element that frictionally engages` the belt when the buckleis secured in saidV clamped position; the invention herein described inwhich said belt-engaging element comprises a body of readilycompressible material which when the buckle is open is of relativelyvthick cushion-like form, and which when the buckle is closed is of thindisk-like form, the closed buckle structure including between the bodyof the engaged belt and the body of said element-carrying buckle membera clearance into which a portion of the body of said compresseddisk-shaped element is adapted, when the engaged belt tends to slip inthe buckle, to be drawn andl wedged, said wedge portion of thecompressed belt-engaging element affording augmented security of thebelt in the closed buckle, said latch device comprising a member mountedfor rotary movement in one of said buckle members, and a catch membercarried by the other of said buckle members, said catch member makingover-center engagement with said rotary member when the buckle isclosed, with the eiect that the forces of restitution and of the,wedging eiect of the compressed belt-engaging element react through thebuckle members with latch-locking effect upon said engaged latchmembers, and a trigger whereby said rotary latch member may be turned,to shift the point of engagement of said catch member with said rotarymember across the center or axis of such rotary member, with the effectthat the forces of restitution of said compressed belt-engaging elementbecome effective to disengage said latch members and open the buckle.

5. In a device of the class described that includes two buckle members,an elastic belt-engaging element, and a latch device for securing thebuckle in closed position upon the end of a belt, with saidbelt-engaging element compressed against the body of such 4belt end; theinvention herein described in which said latch device comprises a membermounted for rotary movement in one of said buckle members, and a catchmember carried by the other of said buckle members, said catch membermaking, when the buckle is closed, over-center contact with said rotarymember, with the effect that the forces of restitution of the compressedbelt-engaging element react through the buckle members withlatch-locking effect upon said latch members, and a trigger for turningsaid rotary latch member to effect the relative movement of said latchmembers and the shifting of the over-center point of contacttherebetween, whereby said forces of restitution become eiTective todisengage the latch members and open the buckle.

6. A belt buckle comprising two buckle members united for relativemovement between open and closed positions, and a latch device forsecuring said members in closed position, said latch device including abar mounted in one of said buckle members for axial rotation Within alimited range, a spring exerting stress on said bar tending to maintainthe bar in a predetermined position in its range of rotary movement, acatch pivotally mounted in the other of said buckle members, yieldingmeans urging said catch into engagement with the side of said bar at apoint lying over and to one side of the center or axis of the bar, and atrigger for rotating said bar against spring tension, to effect therelative movement of said latch members and the shift- ;ing of theover-center point of contact of the catch with the bar to the oppositeside of said center or axis, whereby the catch may be disengaged fromthe bar and the buckle opened.

7. A belt buckle comprising two buckle members united for relativemovement between open and closed positions, and a latch device forsecuring said members in closed position, said latch device including abar mounted in one of said buckle members for axial rotation within alimited range, a spring exerting stress on said bar tending to maintainthe bar in a predetermined position in its range of rotary movement, apair of catch members pivotally mounted in spaced-apart relation in theother of said buckle members, said catch members arranged to engage thebar at its two ends severally, the catch members engaging the side ofthe bar, when the buckle is closed, at points lying over and to one 8.In a device of the class described that includes in structure two bucklemembers, a latch device for securing .said buckle members in clampedposition upon the body of a belt, one of said buckle members carrying anelement that frictionally engages the belt when the buckle is secured insaid clamped position; the invention herein described in which thebuckle member last mentioned includes a recess in which saidbeltengaging element is positioned and peripherally supported, said'element comprising a body of readily compressible material which whenthe buckle is open projects from said recess, and which when the buckleis closed is compressed against the body of the belt and into positionsubstantially within said recess, the closed buckle structure includingbetween the body of the engaged belt and the periphery of said recess aclearance into which a portion of the body of said compressedbelt-engaging element is adapted, when the engaged belt tends to slip inthe buckle, to become wedged, said wedged portion of the compressedbelt-engaging element aiording augmented security of the belt in thebuckle.

9. In a belt buckle that includes in structure two clamping members, afriction member, and means for securing said clamping members in closedposition, with said friction member clamped upon the surface of a belt;the invention herein described in which said friction member comprises abody of readily compressible material in the form of a semisphericalcushion-like element, said semispherical element forming (when thebuckle is closed upon the end of a belt) a compressed relatively thinfriction-disk that engages and secures said belt end.

EINAR THORESEN.

